Choir/Vocal • Featured New Releases Margaret Hillis Unsung Pioneer
Cheryl Frazes Hill Conductor, chorus director, airplane pilot, educator, activist, mentor, and advocate Margaret Hillis blazed a trail upon which many continue to tread. The first woman to regularly conduct a major symphony orchestra, she was the founder of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and served for thirty-seven years as its first director, winning nine Grammy Awards. She was also a flight instructor for the U.S. Navy during World War II, an influential member of the National Endowment for the Arts, and built a reputation for her meticulous score preparation and innovative methods of refining choruses into superb ensembles. She earned the respect of the world’s major conductors along with the admiration and affection of many musicians, colleagues, and music lovers. But as compelling as what Margaret Hillis achieved is how she deftly circumvented the constant barriers in fields where women were not welcome. Further complicating her career aspirations, Margaret Hillis was a lesbian woman in an era when such an identity would have certainly ended her career. In Margaret Hillis: Unsung Pioneer, author Cheryl Frazes Hill—a longtime colleague and associate—examines how Hillis was able to overcome the many challenges she faced, navigating a career in ways relatable not only to musicians but also to women in all professions. Margaret Hillis’s story is one of resilience, determination, and passion for music. Her journey is an inspiration, a portrait of what it takes to succeed at the highest level in any field.
“We are living in an age when strong women are accomplishing amazing things—and this is the story of a woman who succeeded in the male world of orchestral conducting and established the award-winning Chicago Symphony Chorus. Her life consisted of challenges continually met and conquered, and her relentless drive for excellence in her profession. Cheryl Frazes Hill gives us a carefully researched, balanced, and wellwritten account of her eventful life and achievements.”
— Alice Parker
Cheryl Frazes Hill is the Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus and the Associate Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. She is a professor at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts where she serves as Director of Choral Activities.
G-10563 Hardcover, 584 pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45.00 GIA Publications, Inc. • 1.800.GIA.1358 or 708.496.3800 • www.giamusic.com 11
2022Catalog USE THIS ONE.indd 11
11/9/21 4:22 PM
